The Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals meet Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, with Detroit’s defense facing a steep test against a Cardinals team trying to stop a three-game slide. This Lions vs Cardinals preview centers on one question: can Detroit’s defense, which ranks among the league’s worst, slow down an Arizona offense that has struggled to score consistently of its own?
The Lions enter at 2-2 after a 32-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers last week, while the Cardinals sit at 1-3 following a 36-24 defeat to the New York Giants, a game Arizona lost despite New York starting backup quarterback Jameis Winston. Detroit has won two straight meetings in this series, including a 20-13 victory in Glendale on Sept. 22, 2024.
Lions Vs Cardinals Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 11
- Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
- Venue: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- TV: Fox
Can Detroit’s Defense Turn Things Around?
Detroit’s defense is allowing 31.8 points per game, which ranks 31st in the NFL, and a league-high 423.8 total yards per game. Opponents have moved the ball through the air against the Lions at a rate of 304 yards passing per game, and Detroit has allowed at least 30 points in three of its four games this season. The unit gave up 445 total yards in last week’s loss to Carolina.
Lions coach Dan Campbell addressed the issue directly this week. “It’s no secret, we’ve got to do a better job of taking away whoever their number one guy is,” Campbell said. “We can do a much better job of that by how we go about it once we get into the game plan, but also doing our job and using our help.”
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has drawn scrutiny amid the slide. Detroit is 11-10 since former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left for Chicago and former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn departed for the New York Jets, a stretch that spans the post-championship-era transition for the staff.
Is Jacoby Brissett A Bigger Threat Than His Numbers Suggest?
Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett is averaging barely more than 200 yards passing per game this season with six touchdown passes against four interceptions, including a career-high three picks in last week’s loss to the Giants. Arizona is 2-14 in his 16 starts with the franchise, though Brissett has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every one of those starts.
Brissett acknowledged the pressure building around the team. “I think the way the last three weeks have ended has definitely created another sense of urgency, but obviously not a sense of panic,” Brissett said. “You can’t panic. The urgency can be there and it’s like how can we steady the ship without everybody trying to jump off the ship.”
What Do The Injury Reports Show?
Detroit lists safety Brian Branch as out following Achilles surgery, with center Cade Mays on injured reserve with a wrist fracture and a projected return date of Oct. 25. Defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, linebacker DJ Wonnum and guard Ben Bartch are listed as questionable for Detroit.
Arizona has five players listed as questionable, including running back Jeremiyah Love with an ankle issue, defensive tackle Walter Nolen III with a calf injury, linebacker Karson Sharar with a hamstring injury, and safeties Dadrion Taylor-Demerson and Andrew Wingard. All five designations are projections heading into Sunday’s game.
By The Numbers
- Points per game: Lions 29.8, Cardinals 21.8
- Passing yards per game: Lions 303.5, Cardinals 204.5
- Rushing yards per game: Lions 102.0, Cardinals 100.5
- Total yards per game: Lions 405.5, Cardinals 305.0
- Third-down conversion rate: Lions 39.13%, Cardinals 39.29%
- Red zone scoring rate: Lions 94.44%, Cardinals 92.86%
- Turnover differential: Lions +3, Cardinals +3
- Sacks allowed: Lions 8, Cardinals 7
Lions Outlook
Quarterback Jared Goff has completed 109 of 161 passes for 1,214 yards and nine touchdowns with zero interceptions, driving an offense averaging 29.8 points per game. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has 31 catches for 303 yards and five touchdowns, and sits two receptions away from passing Justin Jefferson for the most catches by an NFL player through his first six seasons.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs leads Detroit with 80 carries for 353 yards and five touchdowns on the season, but he posted season lows of 46 yards rushing and 3.1 yards per carry against Carolina last week. Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has familiarity with this matchup, having served as Arizona’s offensive coordinator from 2023 to 2025 under Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon.
Cardinals Outlook
Arizona’s offense has leaned heavily on its rookie running back. Jeremiyah Love leads all NFL rookies with 223 rushing yards and ranks third among rookies with 259 yards from scrimmage, adding two touchdowns on 55 carries. Running back Tyler Allgeier has carried the ball 708 times in his career without a fumble, the longest active streak in the league.
Wide receiver Michael Wilson has caught 25 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown. Arizona’s offense is averaging 21.8 points per game and 305.0 total yards per game, both well below Detroit’s marks, putting pressure on Brissett to limit turnovers after last week’s three-interception performance.
Key Matchup
Detroit’s defense, allowing 304 yards passing per game, faces a Cardinals passing attack averaging only 204.5 yards per game behind Brissett. The larger concern for Detroit is less about Arizona’s modest passing numbers and more about whether the Lions can contain Love and the Cardinals’ ground game, which has already produced 402 rushing yards on the season. Campbell’s comments about taking away an opponent’s top weapon point directly at how Detroit’s coaching staff plans to approach Arizona’s skill-position threats.
On the other side, Arizona’s defense will try to slow Gibbs and St. Brown, the latter closing in on a reception milestone, against a Lions offense that has scored at least 24 points in three of its four games.
Players To Watch
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
St. Brown needs two catches to pass Justin Jefferson for the most receptions by a player through his first six NFL seasons, a mark that would arrive in a game where Detroit’s offense is expected to carry a heavy load.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Cardinals
Love leads all rookies in rushing yards this season and is listed as questionable with an ankle injury, making his availability a factor in how Arizona approaches its ground attack against Detroit’s defense.
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Cardinals
Brissett has thrown a touchdown pass in every one of his 16 starts for Arizona but is coming off a three-interception game, raising the stakes for ball security against a Detroit defense that has forced four takeaways this season.
What To Watch
Detroit is playing its second consecutive road game before entering its Week 6 bye, adding context to how the coaching staff manages workload and rotations this week. Arizona, losers of three straight, is looking to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat at home. The game offers a direct look at whether Detroit’s defensive issues are correctable against a struggling opponent or symptomatic of a deeper problem under coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
For more on Detroit’s roster situation, see the Lions’ injury concerns from last week’s game and the latest on Sam LaPorta’s contract talks with the team.
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